I Am The Sun
by SomeDeadMan
Summary: The contents of a journal found on a corpse in the tunnels of Lost Izalith. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first fanfiction, and I really hope to become a better writer. Seeing as this is the case, please dont pull any punches while reviewing. If you see any problems with my writing, or my writing style, please dont hold back. If you have any questions, as unlikely as it is, please direct them to me at Courier375 .

Disclaimer: I dont own anything, this is entirely for entertainment, etc.

Entry 1

Today I came across a very strange fellow. There I was, gazing upon the sun, and some man clad in leather approached. He's undead, much like me. He carried a bow, as well as a quiver full of arrows. I suppose he is a hunter of some sort. I explained to him who I was, and he didnt seem too bothered by it, for some reason. I suppose he hails from a land where unorthodox religions are the norm. Anyhow, after I had explained who I was, I gave him a white sign soapstone and told him how to summon me. He seemed grateful, if nothing else.

Well, it seems that the hunter fellow is a decent fighter. I was standing at the usual spot when i felt myself being summoned. Imagine that! It seems that the hunter took my advice to heart. When I arrived, I saw we were in that old church in the Parish, on top of the rafters. As I emerged from the summoning ritual, The hunter stepped back. When I finished, he motioned me forward, towards a fog gate. Now, Im no stranger to these. Usually, whatever's on the other side is something dangerous, which explains the need for backup. I nodded, and we went through the gate.

...Nothing happened.

The archer shrugged, and made towards his goal. Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement from above!

I cried out a warning, and the archer leapt back. Not a moment later, a halberd buried itself in the shingles where he just was.

I prepared a spear of lightning, A gift from the God Of Sunlight, and made to throw it. My aim was true-the spear it the gargoyle just above the stomach.

With a roar of anger, it rushed at me. I quickly sidestepped out of the way, just in time, for the halberd came crashing down yet again.

As I turned, I saw my hunter companion draw an arrow, nock it, and fire, all in less than a second. Such speed...Now I understand how this man managed to survive that Bull demon blocking his way. The arrow embedded itself in the beast's stone chest...somehow, and it turned it's attention on the archer. I wouldnt have any of that.

I ran towards the beast, and slashed at it while it's back was turned. I slashed and stabbed, but the beast was not to be deterred.

It flew into the air, and came crashing down with a mighty swing of it's halberd. The hunter managed to roll out of the way, but he didnt see the long, axe-like tail swinging his way.

The tail caught him in the side, and the force of the blow nearly threw him off of the church. I ran forward to distract the beast before it could finish the job, and managed to catch up to it.

I brought my sword down while it's back was turned, but the beast turned, and it was only a glancing blow. Nonetheless, I pressed the attack, stabbing wherever I could find an opening. Between me and my companion's arrows, we nearly had it beaten.

Right then, however, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, rushing at me. I rolled out of the way, and when I got up, I saw another gargoyle, this one without a tail. This one decided to go for the hunter-a strange move, seeing as it was too far away to bring it's axe to bear. Then it opened it's mouth, and I realized what it had in store.

I ran towards the hunter, shouting words of warning. The beast roared, and from its maw came a stream of flame, right towards the hapless archer.

I got there first, and not a second to soon. I shoved the hunter behind me, and brought up my shield. As the waves of fire washed over the two of us, I held fast, trying to cover as much of the hunter's body with my own. My shield took the brunt of the flames, and after it was over I quickly helped my companion up.

As he took my hand I saw the gargoyle preparing to breathe fire again. I rushed him before he had a chance to, narrowly avoiding a sideswipe from the first gargoyle, who had recovered more quickly than I'd thought.

Before he could try another, an arrow flew into his neck! With a roar, it took it's eyes off of me and set them on the hunter. All this happened in the blink of an eye, and I continued my charge.

As soon as I closed the distance, I lunged forward, my sword thrusting for the beast's heart. Just as I was about to strike it down, however, the beast dodged out of the way!

This one was faster than the first. Undaunted, I circled around the beast, stabbing and slicing the whole way. Without a tail, It's back was vulnerable, a fact that I took full advantage of. With the beast's natural agility, I could only get in one or two hits at a time before I had to break off, but I was winning, it seemed. This one was faster than the first, but it still wasn't as fast as I was, not nearly.

Another weakness I gladly exploited. I had to be careful, however. Slow or not, one hit from that halberd would certainly put me out of the battle, if not kill me outright.

So I dodged and weaved, stabbing wherever an opening presented itself, and before long, I noticed that the beast was getting slower, it's weapon not reaching as high as it once did, nor coming down with as much force. It was getting weaker. The beast seemed to realize this as well, and tried for a third time to immolate me. An act of desperation, to be sure, but still a threat.

Seeing my opening, I changed to a two-handed grip on my sword, and buried it into the beast's throat, as far as it would go. The beast fell to the ground still twitching, and as I breathed a sigh of relief, I turned towards the first gargoyle, ready to finish it off. One look and I realized that this was unnecessary; the hunter had finished the job, and sat on the beasts stomach, trying to salvage some arrows from it's body. My job done, I walked towards him, and presented him a shining medallion. He took it, and as I faded away, I extended my arms in a V shape, the signature salute of the Warriors Of Sunlight.

I hope we meet again. A man needs a friend in this world.

-Solaire


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: At the time of writing, there are still no reviewers. I can't say I'm surprised. Rome wasn't built in a day and all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me. (I dont own that either.)

Entry 2

I'm beginning to think that this hunter's quest is connected to my own, in some way. Today, while I was traveling to Firelink Shrine, I saw the hunter fighting off a giant butterfly. While this in itself was strange, stranger still was the other figure fighting the creature; a witch. Not just any witch, but a powerful one. If this undead is strong enough to handle the stress of summoning someone like that, they could be a powerful ally. Moreover, As I watched the battle from afar, I couldn't help but notice the ease in which the two coordinated, how they fought. As I watched, I recalled the hunter's actions in our fight agaisnt the gargoyles on the roof. The way he instinctively covered me with his bow, and how he seemed to know what I was going to do, without me having to say it. It seems this hunter is a natural when it comes to cooperation. Still, I wonder what his purpose is here in Lordran. No matter. Everyone has their own quest, their own sun, and it's not in me to pry. However, I can't shake the feeling that our fates are intertwined...

After that, I came across a knight of Catarina. He was asleep as I approached, but upon awakening, he revealed his name, Siegmeyer. As it turns out, he has journeyed to Lordran with a thirst for adventure. A man after my own heart, it seems. Despite his sleepy demeanor, he proved quite affable, and we spent a while discussing the value of Greatswords over Longswords.

Besides that, today was uneventful. I continued to search for something, anything that could provide me a clue to my own sun. As usual, I was unsuccessful. No matter! This is but a test of my strength, I know it! After all, what is the point of the journey if there is no challenge?

-Solaire

Entry 3

Today was enlightening. It seems I was right about our quests being intertwined. I chanced upon the hunter in the depths under Undead Burg. We made our way to the bonfire, and we rested. As we recovered, we talked. He shared with me the reason for his being here; He was on a quest from a dead knight, to ring the two bells of awakening. I asked him who this man was, he tod me that the late knight hails from Astora, same as me. I must confess, I have never heard of a knight with the name of Oscar, but Astora is a large place, and it has been a while since I've been there. The man also shared with me all he remembers of his (un)life, which isn't much, unfortunately. His first memory is waking up in a cell in an Asylum, waiting for weeks beforethis Oscar gave him the key. He tells of his battle against the guardian of the Asylum, a demon with a massive club. Finally, he tells of his arrival in Lordran, and his attempts to make it through undead Burg. As he tells it, his skill with a sword needs work. I suggested that he try using something shorter, a dagger maybe. I figure it'll lighten his load and be more suited for clase encounters than a sword. Besides, a dagger is much easier to use than a sword.

I decided to help the him get to Blighttown, to ring the Bell below it. As we arrived at the gate, a man with a horned helm told us that it was locked, and that a dragon had swallowed the key. As unlikely as that sounds, we both decided to meet back here in 3 days to face the dragon.

-Solaire

Entry 4

Well, the dragon is dead. It was a tough one, to be sure. So tough that we thought to bring backup, just in case. We summoned Lautrec, another knight, to help us. t Forgive me for speaking ill of my ally, but I do not trust Lautrec. His speech, the way he moves, everything about him is just too calculated, too perfect. Despite my misgivings, he proved to be a great asset in the battle, so maybe I'm wrong about him. I hope I'm wrong about him.

Anyway, the battle. As I've stated, this dragon was tough. He moved with a speed that belied his girth, and his tail packed a quite a punch. The worst part by far, however, was the maw in the center of it's chest. It was massive, and it nearly swallowed me whole save for a quick intervention by Lautrec. I should really thank him...

After that, I was surprised to find my straight sword in need of repair. It turns out that the creature had dripped acid onto me while I was in it's clutches, and while my armor protected me from the worst of it, my sword was useless. Without a sword, I was much less of a threat, and the beast seemed to know this, focusing on Lautrec and The Hunter, perhaps hoping to end the fight quickly. There was no way it could have known about my Lightning spear. I fired bolt after bolt on the beast, all while Lautrec slashed at it with his sickles, and The hunter loosed arrow after arrow upon our foe. Before long, the creature was defeated, and Lautrec was fading away. I waved him over and handed him another one of my medallions, a token of gratitude for his part in the battle. I handed another to my friend, and took my leave. Before I left, I warned him of what he should expect in Blighttown. Not that I've ever visited, mind you, but I've heard tales. Tales of barbarians wielding massive clubs, of insect-like monsters that chitter endlessly, and of cannibalistic creatures who use their own dead as bludgeons, if need be. I told him that if he needed me, that all he need do was touch my sign, and with that he was off. I must take my leave now, journal. I need to find a blacksmith.

-Solaire

A/N: I'm not sure how many chapters this will be, but I think it'll be in the area of 8-9.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to that one guy who reviewed. Thanks also to the two who followed this.

Also, you might notice that the people in this story seem to avoid death at all costs. This is because, in this story, every time you die, you lose a little part of what makes you you. Should you fall in battle one too many times, you may find yourself becoming the very thing you sought to kill.

Entry 5

Today was a good day. My friend approached me, and he said that two blades were better than one in a fight, and I agreed. It just so happens that I have needs to attend to in Blighttown as well. I must search everywhere for my sun. Even in a place as dark as Blighttown.

As we climbed down the ladder into Blighttown, I felt chills run down my spine. It was dark. Far too dark. I felt bereft of the protection the sun gave me, the comfort that I found in the warm glow no longer there. No matter. A true knight wouldn't back down. A true knight would have his own sun guide the way for him.

As we made our way down the maze of ladders, we spotted one of the Hollows that inhabits this place. It seems the tales were right. The thing's skin was a pallid grey, and hung of his frame loosely in some places, stretched taut in others. It wielded a rusted, snapped short sword, a weapon that, while crude, could be deadly. Overall, the beast looked like a much bigger threat than the hollows we'd faced before. Even the way it walked spoke volumes. Regular hollows shamble about, from one place to the next. This one, however... this one moved with a brutal gait, predatory in nature.

Even so, I was confident I could take the beast. The problem was, it wasn't alone. When it saw us, it let loose a guttural roar, and from the woodworks, more approached. These ones wielded daggers, spears, even limbs. All in all, there were about 5 of them. Alone, I probably would've been killed, and likely feasted on. Luckily for me, I wasn't alone. The hunter, quick as can be, loosed an arrow right into the throat of one of the beasts. He followed it up with another. And another. The barrage left two of them dead, and one wounded, but by then the beasts had closed the distance.I brought my shield up, and lashed out with my sword. The hunter was smart, keeping his distance, harrassing them when he was sure I wasn't in his line of fire. Not long after, the last of the beasts lay dead. I let him loot their corpses while I stood watch. Before long, we were ready to move.

Suddenly, I saw a dart whistle through the air, right at my friend! The dart penetrated his lightly armored side, and he collapsed. I did the only thing I could, without a bow to pick the sniper off; I carried my friend to the relative safety of a wall. As I lay him down on the wooden floor, I could already see he was in bad shape. I searched the general location of the wound, and I found the dart. Must've been coated in poison.

Let me be clear, journal. I am no healer. All I know about medicine comes from what the herbalist of my village told me before I turned. As I racked my brain for something, anything relevant, I half-remembered something that the herbalist said about flowers in bloom.

Armed with this knowledge, I rummaged through the contents of my friends bag in hopes of a flower. Finally, at the bottom of the bag, I found a clump of moss, which looked like it was in bloom. I yanked my friend's helm off and stuffed the moss in his mouth, manipulating his mouth to grind the moss into something managable for him to swallow.

Thankfully, the moss in his mouth must have helped him a little, for he regained conciousness and sluggishly chewed the blooming moss, swallowing every so often. Eventually, He recovered enough to stand. When he did, I handed his helmet back and explained the situation. It wasn't ideal. We were pinned down, and while he could still use his bow, he needed mre rest before we got into another fight. Eventually, we decided on a plan.

The plan set, I burst out from the cover of the wall, sprinting madly to another wall just like it. The sniper drew a bead on me immediately, sending dart after dart downrange. I heard one whistle by my head, felt another one embed itself in my armor, but I didn't stop running. As I neared the wall, I heard the dull twang of the bow, the thud the arrow made as it dug into it's target, the shriek the sniper made as he died.

I reached the wall, panting heavily. It's not easy to run in full plate! As I caught my breath, I saw my friend walk over. He was still unsteady on his feet. I plucked out the dart from my shoulder. Just as I thought, Steel tipped. I was lucky. Had the dart hit a few inches below, it would've cut right through the armor of my forearm. With the last of the moss being eaten by my friend, I would have surely died. When I recovered enough to walk, we made our way across an unstable looking bridge, eyes open for any more of those ghouls. The ones in our path were easily dispatched by me when they were close enough, and by my friend when they were out of reach. Eventually, we reached a bonfire. I've got the first watch while my friend recovers from the poison.

-Solaire

Entry 6

We left the bonfire after a few hours. Fully recovered, we pressed onward, into the labryinth of ladders and platforms. We made little progress over time. The hollows here were strong, and we had to fight for every inch. Finally, It seemed we've made it. We made our way down the ladders to the ground, where the swamp was. There, we encountered a new foe. Odd insect like beings, their very bodies twisted into something that could never have been human by the diseases that curse this place. At least they died easy. But the worst trial by far was the swamp itself. The water was thick, and sludgelike, making walking difficult. And the stench! I doubt I'll ever get it out of my clothes. Finally, we reached a bonfire in the remains of a giant cistern.

As we were about to rest, however, we heard a scream of fury. We turned to the entrance to find a woman wielding a massive cleaver, about as long as she was tall, shouting in rage. As she leveled her knife, we prepared for a fight.

She was a strong foe, no doubt. Sensing me as the larger threat, she went for me first. She rushed me with the fury of a bull, hacking her cleaver in a series of blows meant to take me off balance. It would have worked, had I not dodged out of the way instead of blocking the slashes.

My friend let loose an arrow, catching her in the thigh. She sounded more frustrated than pained, and tore the arrow out. While she was occupied, I stepped in, slashing with my sword. Most of my strikes she blocked, but one or two got through her defenses. Undeterred, she tackled me, smashing the pommel of her knife against the joints of my armor, where I was most vulnerable.

I pushed her away just in time for my friend to stab her with his dagger. He aimed for her throat, but she turned as the knife dove towards her, and it only struck a glancing blow. This woman must've been mad, for she felt no pain. Every time me or my friend got a hit in on her, she just renewed her attacks with even greater fury than before. I swear she got stronger every time a blow struck home. Finally, she was felled by an arrow to the head, courtesy of my hunter friend. Only as she faded away did I realize that she was a phantom, an invader of our world. Our foe defeated, we took the time to rest.

-Solaire


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Screw all of ya, Fair Lady is best Waifu.

Entry 7

After resting for a few hours, we made our way out of the relative protection of the tunnel, back into the swamp. As we stood there, on a small rock outcropping, we could finally see our goal. A massive hive, covered in web and thorns, sat at the end of the swamp, almost taunting us. The entrance was blocked, however, by three giants. Not true giants, but giant compared to the two of us. Standing at least a meter tall, with bellies to match, these giants wielded simple boulders, hefted high above their heads on arms covered in muscle, underneath a layer of fat. As for armor-they wore none. Truth be told, they hardly wore anything at all, just simple loincloths and necklaces made from teeth around their thick necks. One of these giants alone would make for a worthy fight, but three? Luckily, I was not alone. Not only that, but it seemed we had surprise on our side. We were a long ways off, and shrouded in dark, besides. I reasoned that the thick waters of the swamp would slow them as it did us, and slowly, a plan formed in my head. I explained the idea to my friend, and he nodded, but not before warning me that an arrow would only serve to agitate undead such as those if fired from range. Unfamiliar as I am with archery, I asked him why, and he explained to me that an arrow loses velocity as it travels farther, and does not penetrate as deep. He said that to maximize effectiveness, the arrow had to had to have a thick point, but he was saving what few he had for use on armored foes.

I thought on this, and eventually decided that it would not be a problem. The swamp would slow them down, and while it struggles my friend could loose a barrage of arrows on them. If he managed to take even one of them down, I was confident that the both of us could handle the other two. Still, they were pretty far away, and I had my doubts about my friend making a shot like that. I voiced these concerns, and my friend barked forth a laugh.

"I betcha 50 souls that I hit the bastard in the eye, first shot."

Needless to say, I know owe my friend 50 souls. He made the shot, his arrow flying true, as it struck the giant in the middle of his right eye! It reared back in surprise and pain and howled bloody murder. As the others took up the war cry, it barreled towards the two of us, it's friends not far behind. It seems I was wrong about the swamp-the giants tore through it like a red hot blade through butter, and they moved with a speed that belied their girth.

My friend was fast, too, though. Arrow after arrow was sent towards the howling giant in the front, perforating him before he was halfway here. One got him in the chest, another in the leg, and another barely missing his other eye. The more arrows my friend launched towards the lead giant, the more it staggered, the slower it got. Finally, with a final scream of anger, he died at our feet. That was one down, and two to go. It seems that I have underestimated these giants. They were faster than I'd expected, but thankfully not as agile. Indeed, they were clumsy and their weapon of choice did not help matters at all. One missed swing with a boulder that size, even for a giant, would cause it to lose it's balance, during which time I stabbed and slashed with my sword. I glanced over at my friend, hoping he was keeping his distance, and saw that he was; every time the giant charged, he would quickly jump out of it's path, and as it stumbled and tried to get it's feet under it, he harassed it with his bow. Grinning, I turned my attention back to my own giant, goading it into yet another sloppy strike, nearly making it fall into the swamp water. Before long, the two were finished, one still oozing blood from fresh sword wounds, the other with so many arrows in it's back that it resembled a porcupine. As we congratulated ourselves on a job well done, and seeing no more enemies in sight, we crossed the drink to the nest of webbing. Once there, we found that the webbing was much more manageable than the swamp, if not stickier, and we made it inside without incident. Once inside the nest, we found pitiable creatures, their bodies turned into vessels for eggs, crawling on the ground, some praying in foreign tongues. The poor undead seemed docile, merely laying on the ground as we passed them. My friend suggested putting them out of their misery, but as we approached, We heard it praying for the eggs to hatch! Puzzled, and wary of getting any closer, we carefully made our way around the rest of them. I saw another fog barrier, and anticipating a fight, suggested we catch our breath here.

Entry 8

We found a summon sign in front of the barrier, and we summoned whoever it was, hoping they could help us in the fight to come. Imagine our surprise when the woman from before showed up! I quickly took out my sword, and my friend actually leapt back, startled. The woman wasn't attacking us, however. Gesturing wildly to the barrier, we quickly understood her intent, if not her reasons. I must admit, this woman is an enigma. I am glad to accept her help, but I will keep an eye on her. She seems to be incapable of speech. She quickly wrote out her name in the floor, in large, childish script. Mildred.

As the three of us made our way through the fog, we came across the ruins of a tower, it's walls lost to time. Above it, and all around us, were eggs. hundreds upon hundreds of pulsating eggs. It seemed that we'd reached the spider's inner sanctum. Suddenly, we saw movement, a strange form making it's way out of the ruins of the tower in front of us. When she had made her way out of the tower, she stood blocking our path, and I could get a good look at her. Her upper body was that of a beautiful woman, with high cheekbones, silken hair, and the most wonderful pair of... uh, eyes that I've ever seen. From the waist down, however...

Her lower body was that of a spider, with insectoid limbs, and a massive, bloated abdomen. Her lower body _pulsed_ as she breathed, and was covered in covered in what looked to be a chitinous plating. Well...At least I know know who was laying all those eggs. She brandished a sword out of thin air, it's blade covered in spikes and thorns, and all covered in flame. As she stood before us, she bellowed out in a tongue I could not understand, punctuating what I thought were threats with deep growls and rumbles. My friend, however, seemed shaken at the voice. I asked if he could understand it, and he only nodded. As the woman continued her rant, I tried to get through to my friend, asking him to translate what she was saying.

"She-She says, we are to leave this place at once."

"She says if we come any closer, she will kill us where we stand and mount our heads as warnings."

"I asked him if he could speak her language, and he nodded once more. I told him to tell her that we mean her no harm, and that we only want to ring the bell inside the tower.

As he relayed my words, I could see she was only becoming more agitated, shifting from side to side, her tone becoming more guttural.

"She says she doesn't care, she wants us out."

"Tell her we need to get past, and we would prefer to do it peacefully."

He did, and the words seemed to enrage the woman even further. With a cry of rage, she charged, swinging her sword wildly.

The three of us prepared ourselves, with my friend and I rolling out of the way, and Mildred just standing there. She rose her cleaver into a defensive position, braced herself, and stood fast as the woman barreled into her, with the force of a rhino. She parried a slash from the woman's sword, which trailed flames with each swing. Kicking out with a bare foot, Mildred caught one of the spindly legs, temporarily unbalancing her. It was then I pressed the attack. Running in to assist, I swung fiercely into the abdomen, my blade easily piercing the chitin. The woman screamed, and one of her legs quickly lashed out, sending me tumbling away. Mildred, however was right behind me, blindly slashing her cleaver into any part of the woman she could reach. Meanwhile, my friend loosed arrows from the other side of the yard, hitting her a number of times before she finally charged him.

As she sprinted towards him, my friend froze up, seemingly unable to move. She had him dead to rights. She slammed into him, not bothering to use her sword, instead opting to trample him beneath her legs. Crushed against the ground, he tried to scramble out of the way, but her spidery limbs came down on him faster than he could avoid them. One hit him in his chest, the other found his unarmored hip and stabbed down, one, two, three times. By the time he finally made it our from under her, he was in a bad way. I could already see him bleeding from the the two wounds on his hip, one where her leg punctured once, and dived back in to widen the wound. I shouted for Mildred to distract her, and she ran towards her, screaming inarticulately. With the spider woman occupied, I made my way to where my friend lay gasping. I tried to hold him down while I gave him a dose of estus, and he managed to sit up. He couldn't stand, but he could still fire his bow.

Mildred was doing a good job keeping her at bay, but she was clearly nearing the end of her endurance. I summoned a spear of sunlight, throwing it with deadly accuracy. The shaft of lightning dispersed when it hit her, her body crashing to the ground, paralyzed. Mildred siezed the advantage, burying her cleaver into the joint where one of her limbs met the abdomen. Screaming, her maw let loose a tide of magma in response. Mildred deftly leapt out of the way to safety, but now couldn't get to her. As I hurled another spear, she turned towards me and opened her mouth again, the spray of molten rock catching me on my arm.

It tore through my armor like it wasn't even there, and I could feel my arm burning as I ran towards her. A horrible smell of cooked flesh filled my senses, as did the horrible pain. Fighting through it, I finally reached her, and began striking at her. Thankfully, her sword was made for slashing, and was unsuited to fighting against foes in armor. She seemed to know this as well, and fell back on the magma again and again. Dancing around her, I struck wherever I could, and with Mildred backing me, and my friend lobbing arrows down upon her from afar, she never had a chance.

Her dying was slow, agonizingly so. As she bled out, she screamed in terror and pain, weeping openly for her sister, from what my friend tells me. I must admit, I feel a deep sense of regret. I should have put more effort into reaching a peaceful resolution. Maybe if I had, this woman need not have died.

My friend was still incapable of walking, so I had no choice but to carry him. This was not an easy task, armed and armored as he was. With my arm burnt, I couldn't carry him conventionally, so I had to sling his arm over my shoulders and help him walk. As we made our way inside the tower, we were greeted immediately with the Bell Of Awakening. Seeing as neither of us could pull it, we decided to find a bonfire and rest before ringing it. We made our way downstairs, and I noticed one section of the wall seemed different from the others. Approaching it, I reached out with my free hand to touch the stone, but as my finger made contact, it vanished! As I peered into the newly made corridor, I noticed a hollow burdened with eggs blocking the way. Gripping my sword tight, I made my way over to him.

It seems he was no hollow after all, for he greeted us, and asked if we served the Fair Lady. Not knowing who this was, and hoping to bluff, I said that we did. Apparently this was the answer he wanted, for he wasted no time in clearing the way for us. As we walked into the chamber, I was startled to see another spider woman inside it! This one seemed different from the one we fought above, however. Her hair was white where the other's was raven black, and her eyes were blurry and clearly blind. Her spidery limbs twitched endlessly, as if in pain, and where her sister's(?) body was full and strong, hers was frail and fragile. As we approached, her eyes dimly focused on the two of us, though it was obvious she could not see. She spoke in the same language that the other one used, and even her voice seemed pained.

"She thinks we're her sister. She wants to know how it went, if she's okay."

I looked back at my friend, tears in his eyes. It finally clicked for me, all the pieces fitting together. It was now obvious why the woman blocked the way to the Bell, why she was so territorial. It seems all she wanted to do was to protect her sister.

"I told her that everything's fine, and to go back to sleep."

I feel worse than ever, journal. Even if it was in self defense, I can't help feeling torn up over the woman. With no one to help, what will become of her? She can't even move without aid. I am going to sleep. Hopefully things will seem better when I wake up.

-Solaire


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: To Choo plus Choo, I actually forgot about his miracles in that instance. I guess you could rationalize that the sniper knew where he was, and would hit him first, but the fact of the matter was that I screwed up there. Thank you all for the support! Sorry about the horrible update speed. I have classes, you know how it is. I'll try to improve on it, but I still can't say when the next chapter will be out.

Entry 9

When I woke up, things weren't much better. The woman known only as "The Fair Lady" was still alone and friendless, and without anyone to aid her. My friend decided that he would join her holy covenant, to help her through this ordeal. I think that his guilt has played a large role in his decision, but who am I to judge? His hand was not the only one that slew her sister, and I have a burden to carry as well. I spoke with the man who let us in, Eingyi, he calls himself. He says that the woman across from us helped him in his time of need, sucking the toxins from his body, and countless others. As a result, she became deathly ill. She made a pact to become a Fire Keeper for survival, but the damage was done, and she was left lame and blind. Eventually, my friend and I decided on a plan. I would continue to Sen's Fortress, the age old proving ground, while my friend would stay behind and gather humanity. I was somewhat worried, for humanity is hard to come by, and dangerous to get. I'm worrying too much, surely. After all, this is the man who fought by my side for nearly a month, he's more than capable of gathering some measly humanity! At least, I hope he is.

Nevertheless, I made it to Sen's Fortress. I had to be careful here, for this place was filled with traps for the unwary. As I crossed the bridge leading to the now open gate, I spied two sentries. These were different from your run of the mill guards, however. With reptilian bodies, they stood at least 2 meters tall, with massive cleavers and rounded shields. I got their attention, banging my sword on my shield. Better to let them come to me, with the narrow bridge that I'm on, they can only attack me one at a time. I raised my shield and waited for the first of them to come at me. I admit, it was much faster than I anticipated, and I was nearly impaled by the gargantuan blade. I dodged to the side just in time, the blade whistling past me. Seeing an opportunity, I lashed out with my sword, severing the monster's hamstring! As it fell under it's own weight, the other one stepped over it. Suddenly, it reared back, as if to strike. Realizing it's intention, I brought my shield up, and the beast's fangs met steel. As it recoiled, surprised, I countered with a strike of my own, my sword biting into the beast's thick neck. As it died, its blood sprayed over me, blinding me momentarily. When I regained my bearings, I was ready to continue on, and made my way into the fortress proper. As I stepped inside, I heard a metallic click, and felt the ground under me give way. I heard the bolt coming towards me before I saw it, dark as this place was. As the bolt rushed towards me, I hit the ground, hard. It hurt, but it beat an arrow through the head. I got to my feet, and I went deeper into the fort. I saw bladed pendulums, swinging like clockwork, over a massive pit. I approached the narrow path, and scouted out the area. Besides the pendulums, I saw another of those guards. An idea formed in my head.

After some searching, I found a small brick that would serve my uses. Not heavy enough to kill, but that wasn't my intention. Picking it up, I made my way back to the pendulum bridge, and I chucked the rock as hard as I could. The stone clocked the guard in the back of the head, and he staggered forward, surprised. He turned and caught sight of me, and rushed towards my end of the bridge. He dodged the pendulums deftly, but I summoned a spear and hurled it at the guard. The bolt of lightning caught him full in the chest, throwing him backwards.

Right in the path of one of the blades. It smashed into him, slicing deeply and knocking him off the bridge into the depths below. I felt a moment of pity for the beast, but I quickly banished it. It was him or me, and I have no doubt that he would've done the same if he had the chance. Carefully, very carefully, I made my way across, when I suddenly felt an impact across my back! I felt electricity course through me, sending me into spasms. Thankfully, I managed to recover before my assailant could strike a second time, and quickly made my way past the last two blades. I made my way to the cover of the hallway beyond, and I dashed up the steps at the end of it. Peeking around a corner, I saw another guard, but this one was different. Where the other guards had two arms, this one had four, and lacked a shield and absurdly large sword. It was shorter than the others, too, and I could see it form a ball of electricity. I quickly ducked back around the corner, and the bolt detonated against the wall where I had stood not a second before. It seems that this creature is a mage of sorts, so I have to be careful. I'm going to take a short break here, and think of a plan.

Entry 10

Well, I made it past the mage. I am currently recovering at a bonfire on the roof of the fortress, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Having thought long and hard, I finally thought up a plan. I couldn't use my own spear of sunlight, I'd be a sitting duck as I was summoning it. Likewise, I couldn't just charge head on, as there were more of the bladed pendulums on the bridge separating us. I couldn't dodge both the pendulums and the balls of lightning, especially on a bridge that narrow. So, I turned the corner again, pausing just long enough to be sure that the mage noticed me, and quickly retreated. Then, I backtracked to the first bridge, and looked for the mage. I had a clear shot at him, and he still thought that I was behind that corner. I summoned a spear of lightning, and I hurled it straight at the mage. It appears that he was somewhat resistant to the lightning, but the impact alone still knocked him back, throwing him off the bridge. As he plummeted, I made my way back up the stairs and to the second bridge. Dodging through the swinging blades, I found myself at the threshold to a room. I stepped inside, and I felt a pressure plate under my foot. I sidestepped, but I was a second too late. The bolt ripped through me, opening a gash along the side of my waist. It hurt, but I had to ignore it. I was in dangerous territory, and I couldn't heal the wound just yet. Instead, with a quick drink of Estus to dull the pain, I soldiered on. I limped to the next room, and I saw another one of those serpent guards. It hissed when it saw me, and as we both prepared for a fight, a boulder struck it, knocking it aside as easily as a child knocks away a toy. I stood there, befuddled, for a moment, until I came to my senses. I looked out into the path were the boulder struck, and saw a boulder barreling towards me. I quickly hugged the wall, the massive rock barely passing me by. I saw a small pathway underneath the path of the boulder, and as I made my way down to it, I caught sight of a familiar set of armor, sitting with it's legs off the edge of the cliff.

As I approached, the figure let out a snore. That confirmed my suspicions. It was Siegmeyer. I figured it would be rude to wake him up, but as I sat down next to him, he woke.

"Oh, hello!"

We greeted each other, and I asked him what he was doing down here.

"Quite honestly, I have run flat up against a wall. Or a ball, to be precise. I'm afraid I'm a bit too plump to be outrunning those things, so here I sit, in quite a pickle."

With that, he fell back asleep. With my companion snoring, I examined my wound. Luckily, it wasn't too deep, and i applied some Estus to it and bandaged it. With that taken care of, I went back to where the boulders were still coming down. There was a delay in between each one, long enough for me to sprint to the next indent in the wall. When I reached it, I noticed that it led to another room. Inside the room, I could hear breathing in the one next to me, and I made sure to muffle my footsteps. As I reached the corridor that connected the two rooms, I nearly stepped on another trap. As I continued past it, I found that the guard hadn't noticed me. At last, some good luck! I was able to approach him silently and cut his throat without too much effort, and I continued on.

I sprinted up the path, narrowly avoiding another boulder, and I saw the mechanism that set all of these rocks in motion. I figured that I wouldn't have to go back, and that I wouldn't want to mess with something that I didn't know how to operate, so I left it alone. Besides that, I saw a hallway in the wall, the only way out of the chamber. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw the trap. Pressure plates, with arrows poised to strike from the walls. I hit the ground, crawling under the trap as it went off, and I made it to the other side.

After checking the rest of the passage for any more traps, I stepped out onto the ledge and found yet another series of pendulum traps. I must admit, journal, I was getting rather annoyed. After I crept across the bridge, carefully, ever carefully, I found myself in another corridor. I find it hard to remember, the locations merge together in my head. I could hear another guard around the corner, so I had to be careful. I carefully snuck behind him, and jumped up on his back. He bucked, trying to throw me off, but I held fast, stabbing indiscriminately. We both fell in a heap, him dead and me winded. As I tried to catch my breath, I heard footsteps, and an all too familiar hiss.

I ran. Knowing I couldn't take another one, tired as I was, I ran. As I turned the corner, however, I came face to face with one of their mages. Dodging left, I ran past it, but not without cost. As I passed it, It took a slash at me, cutting deeply into my arm. Biting back the pain, I continued on, turning another corner, only stopping at the edge of another bridge. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, so to speak, so I did the only thing I could.

I jumped. Grabbing the edge at the last second, I carefully inched myself along the bridge. Hanging from the edge, Dragging myself along, under constant fire from the guards...It's not an experience I would care to repeat. When I made it to the end of the bridge, I was nearly spent. I could no longer feel my arm, and I was practically limping. As I walked up the steps leading to daylight, I felt a click. I jumped to the side, A half second too late.

The bolt punched into me, my armor slowing but not stopping it. I staggered, nearly falling off the steps, and passed out from the pain.

...

When I came to, It was night. The pain was still there, in spades, but it was manageable. I picked myself up, in itself an effort, and did a cursory check of my wounds. It didn't look good. The spike, still embedded, kept me from bleeding out, but It was starting to fester, and the cut on my arm looked worse than ever. I was fresh out of Estus, so all I could do was hope for a bonfire. I struggled to my knees, then to my feet, starting to remember where I was. With a start, I nearly jumped off the pressure plate, but as it would happen, my worries were unfounded. As my feet left the plate, it remained where it was. Relieved, and feeling more than a little foolish, I proceeded up the stairs. Even the simple motion of walking seemed to hurt, but thankfully there were no hollows in sight. I encountered more stairs, and limped up them as well, feeling more uneasy by the minute.

Suddenly, just as I reached the end of a small courtyard, i heard a sound behind me. A loud crack, not unlike a clay pot being broken. As I felt the heat wash over me, knocking me foward, I realized that it was just that-A massive pot, filled with pitch. I limped as fast as I could, catching sight of a sign that said "jump." With nowhere else to turn, and another firebomb likely on its way, I summoned my last reserves of strength and made a break for the ledge. Behind me, I heard a crack and a fizzle, and one again my back was awash in heat. This time, however, I wasn't so lucky. The armor on my back did little to protect me as the shrapnel, and the flames seared over me.

I was blown off the ledge, only to land in an undignified heap before a bonfire. Praise the sun, I was safe! I am recovering as best I can, but it is a slow process, and I don't know enough of medicine to dare quicken the process.

-Solaire


	6. Chapter 6

Entry 11

Can't write well. Arm hurts too much. Will try to keep this short. Made it to Anor Londo. Got stabbed. At Bonfire now. Rest doesn't help, nor Estus. Hard to remember, blurry. Will try to. Remember waking up, fighting golem, got hit with rusted blade. Poison? Going to sleep.

Entry 12

Talked to hunter. Asked for help. I need moss, blooming moss. Waiting now. I feel bad putting him in danger. Still hard remembering. Hurts to remember. Not gonna quit. Gonna wait-

(Illegible)

-Tried pouring estus on wound. Didn't help. Veins standing out, are darker than normal. Was stupid, didn't bring moss. Should've waited. Should've helped hunter.

Entry 13

My friend brought back some moss. Took it. Still weak, waiting for effect. Friend went scouting. Hasn't been back in a while. Worried. Will write more when I feel better. If I feel better.

Entry 14

I feel better. Thank the Sun he got here when he did; I'm not sure I would've made it if not for him. I'll be honest; I feel a little let down now that I'm here. This place feels...off. There is light, but no warmth. Everything feels too perfect, too right, that I know something is wrong here. I hope I can find the answer here, but I have my doubts. All I can do now is continue on to the palace, to the throne room. Hopefully, there I can find answers. Looks like my friend is coming back-I'll write more later.

...Gods, even the air feels wrong in here.

Entry 15

Back from scouting, my friend has troubling news. It seems that the way forward is blocked, in more ways than one. He says he saw a massive bridge, but it was disconnected by some sort of mechanism. He says there was a stone gargoyle that tried killing him as soon as he stepped off the lift, and what's more, that it appeared similar to the kind we faced in the Parish. Alas, I am too weak to fight as of now. I will rest some more, and on the morrow, perhaps, we will find the mechanism controlling the lift.

Entry 16

I don't like this place. When I woke up, I felt refreshed and ready for a fight. One which the stone gargoyle saw fit to give us. Thankfully, this one was by itself, and therefore an easy target against the two of us. After taking it down, we puzzled over how to raise the bridge. Eventually, using a pair of binoculars, my friend spied a lever, one that likely controlled the bridge. The only problem was, the lever was far, far out of reach, and the only way to get to it was to cross a narrow beam.

After we made it past the makeshift bridge, carefully, I might add, as this armor was not built for balancing acts, we found ourselves on the upper ledge of a massive cathedral. One of the windows was smashed in, saving us the trouble of breaking it ourselves. As we entered, however, I heard something whistling through the air. I wondered what it was, for a short moment. That is, until it buried itself, up to the hilt, in my friend's chest.

Startled, and still unaware of where the knife came from, I quickly dragged my friend back through the broken window, it's jagged edges, those which we so carefully avoided, ripping into him as we retreated. As I set him down, I was confronted our assailant-a man, clad all in white, with a hood encompassing his face. I readied my sword, and he readied his.

I stood over my wounded friend, waiting for the silent attacker to make the first move. That he did, with near-blinding speed. I parried, taking a quick step back. The ledge was not ideal for me to fight in. It was too enclosed, and I had had to take care that my friend didn't get caught in the crossfire.

With that in mind, I charged the man in white, tackling him and sending us both crashing through a window. Even as the broken shards of glass shattered around us, we fought on, him slashing wildly at my back, me bear hugging him, squeezing him so tight I could hear ribs cracking. Luckily, his angle was off for any meaningful attacks, and my armor deflected his clumsy strikes. Still, he put up a good fight, continuing to struggle for a good minute, until the last of the life was squeezed from him and he expired in my arms.

Even as he died, my thoughts were on my friend. A knife wound like that was serious, and he could have already died. By the time the man in white was dead, I was running to my friend, hoping against hope he was still breathing. Against all odds, he was. The knife, upon further inspection, had missed the heart, but had embedded itself in my friend's right lung. As he spit up blood, more pouring from his wound, I bid him to lay still, and tried my best to heal his wound. After a good while and most of the Estus I had left, my friend was healed, and thanks to some sort of strange green plant, fit for fighting.

Unfortunately, it seems that these white attackers weren't alone, and what's more, they seem to have set up shop in the rafters. As my armor does not lend itself well to swinging a sword around on top of thin wooden beams, my friend told me he'd take care of the assassins, and to wait here. I must admit, I still feel worried leaving him alone, but he's certainly proved himself. After warning him to take care not falling off, he climbed the ladder and left me here, alone with my thoughts.

Entry 17

Crossing the beams was NOT an experience I'd care to relive. I nearly fell once or twice, and those were by far the most terrifying seconds of my life, those moments where I could see so far below me... Anyway, now that that's over with, me and my friend managed to move the tower up to the same level as the bridge, giving us a path to the palace. We've decided to rest at the bonfire before continuing on.

Entry 18

It appears the guardians of the castle are no less hostile than the inhabitants of the city have been. Right from the start, we had to face yet another stone gargoyle, but it fell easily. No, the real danger were the two golems guarding the entrance hall. Over 15 feet tall, with impenetrable shields, they were nearly unstoppable, until my friend had a brilliant idea.

That is, running away. The gates were not built for soldiers of their stature, and we were easily able to leave them behind. Our next foe, however, was not one we could simply flee from. Harpies, with spears of bone, they were hard to track and even harder to kill, but thankfully, they weren't very bright, and we managed to lure them out, one at a time and flank them. Then, as we approached another bridge, I heard a telltale sound of a bow discharging, and then of an arrow in flight, and I saw my friend get impaled by a massive arrow the size of a spear.


End file.
